Cuckquean is a gender opposite term of cuckold derived from old English (1562 CE). Cuckquean refers to a woman with an adulterous husband. In modern English it generally refers to the sexual fetish in which sexual gratification is gained from maintenance or observation of sexual relations by a man with a woman or a number of women besides his girlfriend, wife or long-term female sex partner, and therefore, the reversed gender roles of a cuckold relationship.

Cuckqueanry as a fetish

A cuckquean fetishist is aware of her spouse's activity, sometimes actively encouraging it,[citation needed] and derives sexual pleasure from it.[2] Among fetishists, the pose of reluctance—the victimization of the cuckold—is a major element of the paraphilia. The cuckold is almost always male; the term for a female cuckold is referred to as a Cuckquean[3] but is not as prevalent in popular culture as the male version of the fetish. In the fetish cuckqueaning subculture, the male takes on the role of being sexually dominant, while the female takes on a submissive role. The wife usually only becomes involved with the man or his lover when he permits it—sometimes remaining altogether celibate. This fetish can be completely heterosexual in which the wife does not participate or only participates with her husband, as well as (but more rarely) bi-sexual, in which the wife participates with everyone, or makes contact with the other woman. The fetish specifics can range wildly, from loving treatment toward the cuckquean to complete humiliation and debasement. However, very commonly a requirement for the fetish is that the cuckquean is somehow humiliated, whether this is acted out to be intentional or as some sort of by-product of the situation (e.g., the parties involved are somehow too sexually aroused to stop). Therefore cuckolding/cuckqueaning' usually involves acting out a story or ritual involving humiliating acts, events or circumstances; it is not simply husband-swapping, swinging or sharing a sexual partner.